THE cardiac surgeon Grigoris Patakos, gives a full interview to Healthtalks of Iatropedia.gr, both for patients’ valve disease and for the intervention valve.
Until a few years ago, listening to a “valve procedure” raised great concern to the patient. Today, due to the progress of technology and the specialization of doctors, the surgery can mean a new beginning. The Director of the Second Cardiac Surgery Clinic of “Health”, Gregory Patakosexplains in simple words in the Healthtalks show what it means to live with valve disease, but also how you can return to a life – not just normal – but even better than before, as he says.
“We do not do these interventions to keep patients staying at home. We make them to go out, to enjoy life. Relatives come and ask me “what to limit?” And I tell them: nothing. We want man back to life, at work, in the gym. Because after surgery, most are better than before before“The doctor points out and adds:” The decision is not only medicine, it is personal. The patient should be a participant, not a mere observer. We choose the method and valve together, because each case is unique. And we want to give him not just years of life but qualitatively, carefree years».
See the whole discussion with Dr. Gr. Patako in the video below:
The valve “sees” everything
Gregory Patakos also talks about the eternal dipole: heredity vs. lifestyle And he explains, what of the two is more burdensome on cardiovascular problems, in people who eventually do not avoid surgery.
It also disrespects young people who have problems with the heart valve, as it is certain that the heredity is heavy:
“They are not to blame themselves, as they often think,” he will say. The opposite may apply to their olderwhich can be obese and smokers.
“The valve ‘sees’ everything: pressure, smoking, lipids, blood flow. If one has a predisposition but smokes, he eats heavy and does not care for his cholesterol, he may be led to the operating room 10 or 15 years earlier From what it would be needed, “the cardiac surgeon stresses.
Finally, he explains how The surgical repair or replacement of a valve, Especially with modern minimally invasive or robotic techniques, it has less costs in the private sector than one imagines, as EOPYY covers in the private sector, up to 90% of spending.
What is valve disease and how is it treated surgically
Valvetopathy is the malfunction in one of the four heart valves and usually concerns mitral or aortic. These valves regulate the blood flow to the heart and to the rest of the body.
When they do not close properly (deficiency) or not fully open (stenosis), the heart finds it difficult to function properly, and somewhere the symptoms begin: shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, or even fainting episodes.
When medication is not sufficient, then surgical treatment is a one -way street.
What are the options for the patient?
The patient has, two basic options:
- Replacement of valve with:
- Mechanical valve: Made of durable materials and lasts … almost forever.
- Organic valve: made from animal tissues (usually pig or cow), or more rarely by human donor and has a shorter life of life.
2. Valve repair (where possible):
- It mainly concerns the mitral valve And it is a more “natural” approach that maintains your own valve, just “corrects” it.
Biological or mechanical valve?
The basic differences:
1. Lifetime
Mechanical valve: very long (for life)
Organic valve: about 10-15 years (shorter in new patients)
2. Anticoagine treatment
Mechanical Valve: Lifetime Necessary (eg Sintrom)
Biological Valve: It may not be needed after the first months
3. Suitable for…
Mechanical valve: new patients <65 years old
Biological Valve: Elderly> 65 years old, women thinking of pregnancy
How do we make the decision?
There is no “right and wrong choice”. The decision is personalized and depends on:
⦁ age
⦁ the lifestyle
⦁ Whether the patient can, or if he wants to take life -long antidigors
With good communication with the cardiac surgeon the patient will be informed of his choices as well as He is involved in the decision.
Grigoris Patakos is a cardiac surgeon, director of the Second Cardiac Surgery Clinic at Health Hospital / www.pattakos.com[email protected]